As of last night, nearly 20 Texas hospitals were closed in the wake of Hurricane Ike while several more were operating at diminished capacity, according to the Texas Hospital Association. According to the Louisiana Hospital Association, the majority of Louisiana hospitals fared fairly well during the hurricane, with only South Cameron Memorial Hospital in Cameron Parish currently closed because of flooding. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt Saturday declared a public health emergency in Louisiana to waive certain requirements for evacuees covered by Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, as he did Friday for Texas. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also will provide up to $2 million to help uninsured hurricane victims in Texas obtain a one-time, 30-day supply of medication or certain durable medical equipment, Leavitt said. For more on the federal response, visit www.hhs.gov.